Support and stripper



Sept. 30, 1952 w. AQERHARDT, JR 2,612,281

SUPPORT AND STRIPPER Original Filed Dec. 19, 1946 Patented Sept. 30, 1952 srPoR'r AND STRIPPER.'

William A. Erhardt, Jr.,.rhilaaelphi, Pa., 'assignor .to Conso Fastener Corporation, P hilao delphia, Pa., a corporation of NewYork Original application December 19, 1946, Serial No. 717,223. Divided and this application-April 1, 1949, Serial No. 85,008

40mm; (crus- 5) The present 'invention relates to certain new and useful punch,A anvil and stripper mechanism for use in conjunction with or attached to snapfastener-attaching or grommet-attaching or eyelet-attaching machines, as for instance, the fastener-attaching machines .of the United-,Carr lastener'Corpl of Cambridge, Mass., exemplified by their `Model .M-,245, and also illustrated in United States Patents Nos. 1,944,510, 2,028,704 and 1,879,890.

, Anobjectzfpf `the presentinvention is to provide new and improved punch, Vanvil and stripper mechanism for attaching snap fasteners, grommets, eyelets or the like.

Other `objects and advantages of they present invention are apparent inthe following detailed description, appended claims and accompany-` ing drawings. l

Thepresentapplication isa division of my copending v.application Serial No. 717,223, filed December 19, 1946.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there'i's shown in the accompanying drawing one form thereof which is at present preferred, although "it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities ofl which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the inventionjis not limited to,- the precisey arrangements and. organizationsof the instrumentaliti'es as herein shownand described.

Referring4 to lthe accompanying drawings in. whichl lik'eQreferenoe characters indicate` likeI parts throughout: Figure `l represents a vertical cross-sectional view of an anvil, punch andV stripper assembly with thejpunchv shown in uppermost position. v

`Figure `2 represents a view like that of Figure 1 but with the punch and jawsvshown as partly descended'. M y

Figure 3 represents a view like those of Figures 1 and 2 but'showing the punchv still further descended. and the grippingr jaws as completely descended. j

Figure 4 represents a view like those of Figures 1-3 butshowing the punch in lowermost position wherein it has forced the fastener member from the gripping jaws and has locked it to the tape. Figure represents a view like those of Figures 1-4 but vshowing the punch in somewhat raised positionand indicating the manner in which the jaws'strip the fastener member from the ascending punch. l

Figurelrepresents a vertical cross-sectional view of a female fastener member andits. backingmember just before the two are forced into engagement.

Figure 7 represents 'a view like that of Figure 6 but showing the' members fully engaged and attached to'the strip material..

Figure '8 represents a vertical cross-sectional view like that of Figure 6 but showing a male fastener member and backing member.

Figure 9 represents a verticaly cross-sectional view showing the fastener member and backing member of Figure 8 in engaged position on strip material.V

Figure 10 represents a perspective `view showing two pieces of strip material to whichmale and female fastener members have' been attached,

respectively, atspaced intervals. y l

The novel anvil, punch andstripper. mechanism of the presentinventionmay ber applied to any fastener-attaching or similar machine, as exemplified by Model M-245. `of the United-Carr Fastener Corp. of Cambridge, Mass. or to any machine `adapted to fastenv eyelets, grommets, snap fasteners or the like to fabric or similar material, wherein va feeder system automatically and intermittently supplies the engaging elements and the backing elements of the snap-fasteners or the like'to the punch and anvil ofthe machine (which can, if desired, be adjusted forr automati'ca'lly repetitive, intermittent operation) The attaching machine may be; set or adjusted to operate. automatically in,v such manner, that grommets or`eyelets or fasteners will be yapplied in rapidl 'succession vto any material .placed between the'punch andanvilof the machine. Although the'pre'sent embodiment ofl my invention is shown vapplied tov a United-Carr Fastener Corp'. snap-fastener' attaching lmachine Model M-245, it is to be. understood that my invention can be applied toother attaching machines. Insofar as any partfofthe construction or of the'mode of operation. of the fastener-at'tacl-ling machine (generallyy shown inthe drawings) is not de-.. scribed indetail, it may be assumedfto lbe gen- 717,223 referredV to hereinabove, there is disclosedv a; machine-for automaticallyl attaching snap*- fastenery or similar members to a tape of fabric k or the like-at accurately-spaced intervals. Since the present divisional application is concerned only-with the anvil,punch and stripper mecha--` nism, the present drawings are limited tothosel features and reference is made -to my aforesaid'v of a two-piece snap fastener member 2I shownv particularly in Figure 6); the backing element (for example the female backing element 21) being supported on the head 32 of the anvil I3 by opposedjaws |60 and IUI. The disposition and operation of these jaws of the anvil are better seen in United States Patent No. 1,944,510.

Appropriate mechanism (not shown) is provided for feeding the engaging elements 20 and the backing elements 21 to the jaws 26 and I00-I respectively, in a manner more fully described in my aforesaid copending application Serial No. 717,223. Y.

The punch I6 which, as mentionedrabove, is mounted lwithin the l'ramhusing I4, constructed and arranged to be driven up or ldown relative thereto by a crank (not shown). Arnember I4-a is slidably mounted within the lower end of the ram housing I 4 and protrudes downwardly therebeyond. The member I4-a is provided .with a central axial opening into which the punch. I6 extends with a. relatively tight t whereb'ydo'wn'- wardvmovement of the punch I6 will tend `to carry theA member AI4-a along with it, until the upper flange of the member I4-a strikes the inwardly extending annular ange I 4c at the bottom of the ram housing I4. This type of frictional drive for the member I4-a is conventional in the art and is disclosed, for example, Vin'Patents 1,873,890 and 1,944,510.

Member I4-a carries the twojaws 26 at the lower end thereof, and when the member I4-a is in its uppermost position (as shown in Figure l) the grooves 26-a are in position'r to receive a female engaging element 20 from suitabler feed# ing mechanism (not shown). At thestart of a cycle, the driving means causes the punch I6 and the jaw-carrying member I 4-a to Adescend simultaneously relative to the stationary ramhousing I4 to the position shown in FigurerZ.

In the position shown in Figure 3 the jawcarryingrnember III-a has been arrestedfin its downward travel by the limiting anges I 4-c formed at the bottom of the ram-housing I4, but the Apunch I6 has continued to descend so as to approach the element 20. Further downward movement 'of the punch I6 pushes its tip IS-a through the opening Ztl-a of the element 26, after which the element is forced through the grooves 26-a and the jaws 26 onto the tape 22. The jaws 26 are designed to pivot (in the direction of the arrowsin Figure 1), about the annular shoulder I4-d of the member I4-a when the punch forces the element 26 from the groove 26-a; compressionsprings I II-e tending to resist this pivoting action. In the position shown in Figure 4, the punch I6 has forced the element 20 against the tape 22 and into contact with the backing element 21 with suicient force to cause the prongs 21a of the element 21 to pierce the tape 22 and lock within the element 20 in the manner disclosed particularly in Figure 7, thereby permanently to mount the snap-fastener member 2| to the tape This clinching actionv also causes the edges of the opening 20-a of the engaging element 20 tightly to grip `the tip II-a of the punch I6 so the under-surface of the jaws 26.

that the fastener element 2| has a tendency to be held frictionally upon the tip I6-a when the punch I6 begins its subsequent ascent.

However, as soon as the element 20 has been displaced from the groove 26-a -by thel punch I6, the jaws 26 snap back (under the action of the springs I 4-e) toward each other (i. e. opposite the direction of the arrows of Figure 1) so that the jaws bear against the neck I6-b of the punch I6 and provide insuflicient clearance for the engaged fastener member 2I to pass upward therebetween.

In the position shown in Figure 5, the punch I6 has begun its ascent, bringing the top side of the element 20, (which, as mentioned above, clings to the punch-tip I6-a) into contact with During this preliminary ascent of the punch I6 the jawcarrying member I4-a is kept from rising by a spring-actuated ball-stop III) which overlaps the uppermost shoulder of the jaw-carrying member I4-a and prevents the member I4-afrom rising relative to the ram-housing I4 until pushed upward by a force greater tan vthe frictional restrainingvforce exerted by the ball-'stop ,I I0. The ball-'stop I I6 temporarily prevents upward movement of the flange of the jaw-carrying member I 4-a, even though the earlier downward movement of said ange past said ball-stop was not retarded or impeded because a chamfer II I on the lower edge of the flange of said jaw-carrying member I4-a cammed the vball-stop III) inwardly to permit the passage of the flange. f

In this way, thecontracted jaws 26 stripV the fastener member 2| from the punch-tip IG-c after only a very slight upward movement of the attached fastener and the tape. L

However, when the pin I6-c carried bythe punch I6 rises and strikes the surface AIS-d of the member I4-a, the positive upward force im parted to the member I4-a overcomes the frictional retarding action of the ball-stop I I6, after.

which the member vIII-,a moves upward vwith the punch I6 to the starting position shown'in Figure l so as to complete the cycle. f

Thereafter, another engaging element26 isfed to the jaws 26 and another backing element 21 is fed to the jaws I IlIl-v-I and the cycle isrepeated; the tape 22 advancing, in the meantime,l

to a new position, by mechanism disclosed in my aforesaid k copending application Serial No. 717,223, vs`o that the next snap fastener is mounted on the tape at a predetermined distance from the preceding one.

'It is also possible to attach male snap fasteners consisting of a headed `male engaging member 26 and a corresponding backing member 29 shown particularly in Figure 8; the assembled position of the elements 28 and '.29 being shown in Figure 9.

It is ralso possible Yto attach grommets', eyelets` and the like by simply changing the sizeA and shape of the engaging and supporting surfaces of the jaws 26 and AIIlll--I and the anvil head 32 in a manner well known to those skilled in-theart. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is tllerefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claimY as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. In a machine for attaching grommets, eyelets, snap-fasteners or like elements to a tape or the like; a downwardly-directed vertically reciprocable punch, a ram-housing, a jaw-carrying slide vertically movable within said housing, said position intermediate the opposed gripping surfaces of said jaws and in line with said punch, said opposed gripping surfaces being somewhat spread apart by said element, a stationary anvil disposed below said gripping surfaces and in line with said punch, said anvil being constructed and arranged to hold a complementary element in vertical alignment with the first-mentioned element, downward movement of said punch on its punching stroke causing the lower end of the punch to move from a point above said opposed gripping surfaces to a point below said gripping i surfaces thereby to engage said first-mentioned element and thereafter to force it downward from between the said opposed gripping surfaces and into locking engagement with said complementary element carried by the anvil, said jaws being constructed andl arranged to pivot when said first-mentioned element is displaced so as to bring the jaws closer together and into overlying relationship; to the displaced element, and stopmeans for delaying the return movement of said slide and said Jaws during the upward return movement of said punch until after the lower end or the punch has returned to a point above said gripping surfaces whereby the contracted ends'of vthe Jaws prevent the displaced element from moving upward any substantial distance with said punch and thereby serve to strip said element from said punch. A

2. In a machine forattaching grommets, eyelets, snap-fasteners or like elements to a Vtape or the like; a downwardly-directed vertically reciprocable punch, a ram-housing, a jaw-carrying slide vertically movable within said housing, said slide having a central opening through which said punch extends, said slide being constructed and arranged to move downward with said punch during the punching stroke, a pair of cooperating jaws pivotally carried by said slide and having opposed gripping surfaces formed thereon, means for feeding an individual element into position intermediate the opposed gripping surfaces oi said jaws and in line with said punch, said opposed gripping surfaces being somewhatvspread spart by said element, a stationary anvil disposed below said gripping surfaces and in line with said punch, said anvil being constructed and arranged to hold a complementary element in vertical f 'A alignment with the first-mentioned element, downward movement of said punch on its punching stroke causing the lower end of the punch to move from a point above said opposed gripping surfaces to a point below said gripping surfaces thereby to engage said first-mentioned element and thereafter to force it downward from between the said opposed gripping surfacesand into locking engagement with said complementary element carried by the anvil, said jaws being,

spring-urged to pivot Awhen said rst-mentioned element is displaced so as to bring the jaws closer together andinto overlying relationship. to the displaced element, yieldable stop-means for delaying the return movement of said slide and said jaws during the upward return movement of said punch until after the lower end of the punch has returned to a point above said gripping surfaces whereby the contracted ends of the jaws prevent the displaced element from moving upward any substantial distance With said punch and thereby serve to strip said element fromsaid punch, and connecting means for thereafter positively moving said slide with saidpunch on the return movement thereof so as to overcome the restraint of the yieldable stop-means.

3. A construction according to claim 2 wherein the yieldable stop-means comprises a spring-` tensioned ball-check carried by said housing and yieldably extending into the path of travel of the slide and wherein the connecting means com- WILLIAM A. ERHARDT, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are vof record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS kNumber Name Date 1,944,510 Hayden Jan. 23, 1934 1,975,413 Veillette Nov. 2, 1934 

